As fuel cell power plants are being designed into useable motor vehicles in place of internal combustion engines, packaging of the hardware becomes an issue. It is important not to impede on the requirements for maximized passenger compartment and storage space as these are important customer considerations. Fuel cells that are arranged at or about the vehicle center of gravity may restrict passenger compartment volume.
Another potential arrangement for packaging a fuel cell is to arrange the components below the vehicle floor. One disadvantage may be that the overall vehicle height is raised to accommodate ground clearances and maintain passenger compartment volume. In addition, hardware that is not closely coupled requires longer connections therebetween which increases the potential for system pressure drops and thermal losses.